Category Archives: Aviation

Serving as the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways in the Second Narendra Modi Government, Retired General Vijay Kumar Singh has also been made the Minister of State for Aviation. He will report to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia. He previously served as Minister of State for External Affairs in the First Modi ministry and as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of the North-Eastern Region.

Jyotiraditya Scindia has been announced as the new Minister of Civil Aviation. He takes over the charge from Hardeep Singh Puri, who has been at the helm of Ministry of Civil Aviation since 2019. The news came after a cabinet reshuffle was done by Prime Minister Modi. Scindia was a Minister of State with an independent charge for Power in the cabinet of Prime Minister ManMohan Singh from October 2012 until May 2014.

Two more international airports will be added in North Eastern states, at Imphal and Agartala, with the aim of increasing connectivity in the region, said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region. The airport at Itanagar will be functional by the end of the year and that a facility is also coming up at Kohima. At present, there is an international airport in Guwahati.  

Asia has had, and will continue to have, a much more cautious approach to dealing with the pandemic. This, when combined with the likely resurgence in cases in the Asian region, there is little sign that Asia Pacific states will be rushing to reopen borders in 2021. It will be well into 2022 before substantial changes occur, according to CAPA Centre for Aviation analysis.

Indian carriers can now operate 15% more domestic flights with the government raising the cap on the same from 50% of pre-Covid level to 65% from this week. During the pandemic, the aviation ministry has been regulating both domestic fares and capacity. Now that the second wave is ebbing and daily cases have fallen, the domestic capacity — which was reduced from 80% of pre-Covid to 50% on June 1 — has been increased.

Etihad Airways and EL AL Israel Airlines have launched their joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. EL AL will add its ‘LY’ code to Etihad’s existing twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv. This new partnership is planned to include India as well from August 1 besides five other countries.

Uzbekistan Airways, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Uzbekistan has appointed Wingspan Group, the Airline Management Services Company & Specialist in Russia and CIS Countries for over two decades, as its new Passenger Sales Agent (PSA) for the Indian market. Abzal R Akramov, Uzbekistan Airway’s General Manager India stated that “We are pleased to appoint Wingspan Group to position our brand, create awareness of our products and sell our services in an important market – the Western & Southern India.” The new PSA, Wingspan Group will use its vast experience and will be the immediate liaison for the airline’s sales development in India, including ticketing and direct support services to the travel trade. “Wingspan Group is happy to be associated with Uzbekistan Airways as their Passenger Sales Agent (PSA) in India. Uzbekistan Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the CIS Countries and has aggressive plans to connect India and Uzbekistan through their hub in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. We look forward to a great working association with Uzbekistan Airways and are optimistic of making their online operations a success & also resume flight ex-Mumbai once the pandemic is over,” commented Tasneem Udaipurwala, Director, Wingspan Group. About Uzbekistan Airways Uzbekistan Airways currently operates weekly flights to Delhi with increased capacity on The Dreamliner B787-800 & B757-200, a state of the art twin class 270 seater equipped with full-flat beds in business class and unmatched legroom in the economy, with in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi onboard. From Tashkent as its hub, Uzbekistan Airways reaches out to several cities in Russia, CIS Countries, Western Europe, the Middle East and the United States of America. Uzbekistan Airways operates one of the largest fleets …

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, has said, “Data must drive global restart policies that manage COVID-19 risks while reviving livelihoods and boosting economies.” He adds that travel cannot be restricted only to those who are vaccinated because data suggests that testing, not quarantine, is the solution. Screening can keep COVID-19 importation at manageable levels.

McKinsey analyses that more than 17 per cent of global commercial aviation CO2 emissions could be addressed with lower-carbon technologies such as green novel propulsion, such as electricity. And while these solutions will not be available for long-haul flights nor large aircraft in the next decade or two, they are promising for smaller, shorter-range aircraft.

Qatar Airways continues to set the benchmark for innovation, safety and customer service, becoming the first airline to trial COVID-19 vaccine authentication through the IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ Mobile App. As more travellers return to the skies, the airline remains committed to reducing paperwork and providing a more contactless, secure and seamless travel experience for its passengers. The trial will be rolled out in phases from July, beginning initially with cabin crew returning to Doha travelling from Kuwait, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Sydney. Cabin crew will be able to upload their Qatar issued COVID-19 vaccination credentials along with their COVID-19 test results to the IATA Travel Pass Mobile App and verify they are eligible to travel. On arrival in Doha, crew will then be able to safely and securely share their vaccination certificate and proceed through immigration at the airport. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said: “Despite the significant challenges the pandemic has caused international aviation, our industry has continued to be a leader in adopting new technologies and innovations to ensure a safe, secure and seamless travel experience for our passengers. Qatar Airways is proud to lead the way by becoming the first airline to trial COVID-19 vaccine authentication through the IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ Mobile App. I want to especially thank Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Interior, Primary Health Care Corporation and Hamad Medical Corporation, whom without their ongoing support, this trial would not be possible. “We know as more people begin making plans to return to their favourite holiday destinations, they will inevitably face the challenge of ensuring they have the right paperwork. Through trialling …